Application specific CNC machines seem to be having a moment. Is it advantageous to invest in customized routers, or will off-the-shelf equipment be sufficient? 

Jim Heenan at AXYZ International weighed the merits of custom-built CNC routing machines in a think-piece that Woodworking Network published last month.

Earlier this year, Bacci rolled out a CNC shaper and sander tailored to Decore-ative Specialties cabinet door manufacturing needs, The dramatic development won a WMIA Wooden Globe Award April 14. 

Now comes news of Vitap's Point Acoustic. "It's a compact CNC drilling machine designed specifically for applications in the manufacturing of acoustic and sound absorbing panels, for which there seems to be growing demand," says Riccardo Azzoni of Atlantic Machinery, their exclusive importer for the U.S.

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Acoustic panels come in many sizes and drill hole patterns, of varying materials. Their design may be a function of the architectural design for spaces such as concert halls. So resetting the pattern for drill runs is important.  

How the machine works is explained in this video produced for the occasion of become an IWF 2016 Challengers Award semifinalist.

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After Point Acoustic was displayed at AWFS 2015 for the first time in North America, the first machine went to RPG Diffusor Systems, located in Upper Marlboro, MD, and Azzoni offered a description of their operation. 

Like most, if not all, manufacturers in this industry segment, RPG had adapted existing machinery to its applications, in their case a very expensive twin table CNC router, drilling three holes, one at the time. 

With the Point Acoustic, using two parallel drilling heads of 27 spindles each, RPG has been drilling 54 holes per second. "Let me also add that the Vitap machine is a fraction of the cost of most quality CNC routers available on the market. 

"And the results have been pretty incredible, as this company has been able to cut its manufacturing time by almost two-thirds," Azzoni says. The machine will be on display at IWF 2016 in Atlanta August 24-27.